The Heaven of Animals

Imprecise language and a didactic resolution mar this entertaining but ultimately underwhelming debut collection of stories. Standouts include "Lizard Man," in which the death of a friend's father serves as a catalyst for a homophobic man to restore relations with his gay son (a plotline picked up again by the connected title story), and the pitch-perfect "Last of the Great Land Mammals," in which a dual narrative chronicles a couple's experience at Kentucky's Big Bone Lick State Park, culminating with the surreal image of a woman riding a bison. While some of the longer stories, such as "Amputee," wear out their welcome, due, in part, to clich%C3%A9s like "her touch was electric," the shortest stories in the collection feel padded. "The Baby Glows" and "100% Cotton," clocking in at under four pages each, and featuring a glowing baby and a stickup shooter, respectively, devolve into tired metaphors. There are some great moments%E2%80%94good bits of dialogue and interesting premises%E2%80%94but for the most part, the stories don't live up to their potential. (Mar.)